Turbidity in water is mainly caused by human activities in certain industries, such as mining and agriculture, which cause particles to move and mix with water.
Those can be mud, sand, or other waste materials in the changing environment.
However, a certain particle is a natural flora of water, especially seen in seawater and oceans, and can be found in freshwater. This particle is known as phytoplankton.
Phytoplankton is a certain tiny plant that wanders or drifts to different bodies of water. This plankton is so small that it can only be seen using a microscope.
Phytoplankton varies in shape and size, and the most common phytoplankton is called Diatom. There are other phytoplanktons as well, including dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria. Also, other algae are present in the water, affecting our health if not treated.
Nowadays, water isn't safe to drink. Although the water sanitation system has treated and chlorinated it, turbidity in drinking water is still caused by particles seeping through the soil and into the system.
Most of the time, broken water lines or rusted water pipes can cause turbidity in drinking water, which can thus affect our health and our family.
How is Turbidity Measured and What is the Ideal Turbidity in Drinking Water
Since phytoplankton was last discovered in the 1950s, the study has led to certain debates on how it affects the environment. One debate concluded that its appearance responds to ocean changes or warming.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) measures water quality using Formazin Nephelometric Units (FNU).
Since the discovery of phytoplankton, many ways have been found to measure turbidity in drinking water. One such method is Arduino, which uses a microcontroller and inexpensive LEDs.
In the 1950s, the Jackson Candle Method, which used a candle flame to view through water, was measured using the JTU, or Jackson Turbidity Unit.
A nephelometer, which uses a light beam, measures turbidity in drinking water. The ISO uses the Nephelometric Turbidity Unit to measure the turbidity standard.
Since the first appearance of the phytoplankton, an organization named Secchi found a way to measure turbidity in water; thus, Secchi Disk was invented.
A Secchi Disk is a black-and-white disk that measures large bodies of water transparency. It is lowered into the water until it can no longer be seen, and the depth, known as the Secchi depth, is used to determine the transparency of the water.
According to the World Health Organization, the turbidity of drinking water that is safe to consume should not exceed 5 Nephelometric Turbidity Units, and the potable and safe turbidity in drinking water should be below 1 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit.
How is Turbidity in Drinking Water Treated
Since the appearance of phytoplankton in water in the '50s, non-government organizations such as the World Health Organization have been finding ways to treat the turbidity in drinking water to be safe and potable to the community.
One way to treat the turbidity in drinking water is by using reagents. The reagents used are Gypsum, Aluminum Sulfate or Alum, Poly-aluminum Chloride, Ferric Chloride, and other reagents.
Scientists use reagents to test and remove the turbidity in drinking water and ensure that the dosing process from reagents to water and vice versa is considered, as some reagents, such as alum, alter the acidity or alkalinity of water.
One of the reagents used is Aluminum Sulfate or Alum. It is used as a coagulating agent to purify the turbidity in drinking water.
When mixed with water, Aluminum Sulfate causes debris to thicken and clump together into large enough particles to be filtered out.
Aluminum sulfate is mostly used in wastewater treatment systems and the manufacture of paper. Poly-aluminum chloride is used the same way as aluminum sulfate.
The only difference is that Poly-aluminum Chloride has lower alkalinity than Aluminum Sulfate.
Poly-aluminum Chloride is also used as a coagulant to remove particles in drinking water and is mostly found in wastewater treatment systems.
This flocculation settles at the bottom of the water or is then filtered out. When dissolved in water, Ferric or Iron Chloride changes the water's pH and releases heat with that reaction.
When mixed, the reaction results in a brown, corrosive solution containing microorganisms attached to the suspending solids. These solids act as a shield for the microorganisms found in water and can also protect them from Ultraviolet sterilization of the turbidity in drinking water.
Gypsum also aids in filtering the turbidity in drinking water, especially removing the contaminants such as lead and arsenic found in drinking water, which can greatly affect our mental health and our families.
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